Shoe Having Shoehorn Compartment

ABSTRACT

A shoe having a shoehorn compartment in which a shoe horn can be positioned for storage. The shoe includes a body having an interior volume with a sole therein. The heel portion of the shoe includes a compartment in which a shoehorn is removably positioned. The compartment is disposed beneath the sole so as to not interfere with the shape or configuration of the sole, allowing the shoe to be worn comfortably. The exterior of the heel of the shoe includes a flap pivotally disposed over the compartment so as to cover the compartment while also providing access thereto when the flap is pivoted away from the compartment so that the shoehorn can be retrieved therefrom.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/167,708 filed on May 28, 2015. The above identified patent application is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety to provide continuity of disclosure.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to shoes and shoe accessories. More particularly, the present invention relates to a shoe having a compartment disposed on the heel of the shoe configured to receive and support a shoehorn therein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Shoehorns are a type of tool commonly used to facilitate the donning of a shoe. This is particularly useful for footwear that may be difficult to don, such as boots. Conventionally shoehorns help to keep the shoe open and provide a smooth surface for the foot and the heel to slide into the shoe without depressing the counter of the shoe, which is the vertical portion of the shoe that wraps around the back of the shoe. This helps to prevent damage to the shoe, so as to keep the shoe in good condition and so as to prevent the appearance of wear.

Despite the usefulness and necessity of a shoe horn, many people do not travel with a shoehorn due to the inconvenience of carrying and storing the shoehorn in luggage with any of various other items, such as clothes, footwear, toiletries, and the like. Further, when donning a shoe, a shoehorn may not be available and the user may have difficulty locating a shoehorn. Therefore, there exists a need for a shoe having a compartment on the heel of the sole configured to receive and support a shoehorn therein.

Devices have been disclosed in the prior art that relate to shoes having built-in shoehorns. Some of these shoehorns relate to shoes having an extended heel that assists a user with applying his or her shoe. Other shoes provide a detachable shoehorn. These devices, however, fail to provide a compartment disposed on the heel of the sole to receive and support a shoehorn therein.

The present invention provides a new and improved shoe. The shoe includes a heel having a compartment therein in which a shoehorn can be positioned for storage. The compartment is disposed beneath the sole of the shoe so as to not interfere with the positioning of the sole. The heel comprises an opening on an exterior thereof providing access to the compartment and further includes a flap thereover for sealing the opening.

It is therefore submitted that the present invention is substantially divergent in design elements from the prior art, and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to shoes. In this regard, the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of shoes now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a shoe wherein the same can be utilized for storing a shoehorn within a compartment in the heel of the sole.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a new and improved shoehorn that has all of the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages.

Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved shoe, wherein the heel includes a compartment configured to receive a shoehorn therein.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved shoe, wherein an opening on the exterior of the heel is configured to provide access to the compartment.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved shoe, wherein a flap is configured to seal the opening of the compartment so that the shoehorn is securely stored therein when not in use.

Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved shoe, wherein the device may be readily fabricated from materials that permit relative economy and are commensurate with durability.

Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS

Although the characteristic features of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and manner in which it may be made and used may be better understood after a review of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numeral annotations are provided throughout.

FIG. 1 shows a transparent side view of the shoe device.

FIG. 2 shows a transparent top down view of the shoe device.

FIG. 3 shows a rear perspective view the shoe device.

FIG. 4 shows a side view of a shoehorn positioned for insertion into the shoe device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. Like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like or similar elements of the shoe device of the present invention. For the purposes of presenting a brief and clear description of the present invention, the preferred embodiment will be discussed as used for storing a shoehorn inside of a shoe. The figures are intended for representative purposes only and should not be considered to be limiting in any respect.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, there are shown a transparent side view and a transparent overhead view of the shoe device. The shoe device 11 resembles a conventional shoe of any of various styles, such as an oxford shoe or a boot, among others. The shoe 11 comprises a body 12 having a toe portion 16 and a heel 13. The body 12 provides an interior volume in which a user can position his or her foot, wherein the foot rests on an insole 17 therein. The body 12 can be composed of any of various materials commonly used to construct shoes, such as leather or canvas, among others. The shoe device 11 may have laces, straps, or may be a slip-on type of shoe depending upon the embodiment.

The heel 13 comprises a compartment 14 therein that is configured to receive and support a shoehorn 31 therein. The compartment 14 is positioned in a horizontal orientation and extends through the heel 13 of the shoe 11. The compartment 14 is positioned beneath the insole 17 so as to not interfere with the positioning of the insole. Thus, the compartment 14 does not interfere with the comfort or use of the shoe.

The exterior of the heel 13 comprises an opening thereon to provide access to the compartment 14. A flap 15 removably covers the opening so as to conceal the shoehorn 31 when it is not in use. The flap 15 is preferably pivotally secured to the heel 13 so that it can be pivoted away from the opening so as to reveal the same, allowing the user to access the shoehorn 31. When the flap 15 is positioned over the opening, the shoe 11 retains the appearance of an ordinary shoe.

Preferably, the compartment 14 is shaped similarly to a shoehorn 31 so as to receive the same therein. This helps to secure the shoehorn 31 within the compartment 14 so that the shoehorn 31 does not move within the compartment 14 while the user is walking. Thus, the compartment 14 has a curved or crescent shaped cross sectional area so as to receive the shoehorn 31 therein.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, there are shown a perspective view and a side view of a shoehorn positioned for insertion into the shoe device. In operation, the user can lift the flap 15 so as to expose the opening 18 on the heel 13 of the shoe device 11. The user can withdraw a shoehorn 31 stored therein, and can use the shoehorn 31 in order to more easily don the shoe device 11. Once the shoe is positioned on the user's foot, the user may reinsert the shoe horn 31 into the compartment 14 via the opening 18 on the heel 13. The flap 15 is then pivoted over the opening 18 so as to cover the same and so as to allow the shoe device 11 to retain the appearance of a traditional shoe.

It is therefore submitted that the instant invention has been shown and described in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention. 

I claim: 1) A shoe device, comprising: a body having a toe portion and a heel; a compartment disposed within the heel adapted to receive a shoe horn therein, wherein the compartment is accessible via an opening on the heel; a flap pivotally positioned on the heel that removably covers the opening on the heel. 2) The shoe device of claim 1, wherein the body comprises an insole and wherein the compartment is disposed beneath the insole. 3) The shoe device of claim 1, wherein the compartment comprises a crescent shaped cross sectional area adapted to receive a shoehorn therein. 4) The shoe device of claim 1, wherein the compartment is disposed in a substantially horizontal orientation within the heel. 5) The shoe device of claim 1, wherein the body resembles a boot. 6) The shoe device of claim 1, wherein the body resembles an oxford shoe. 7) A shoe device, comprising a body having a toe portion and a heel; a compartment disposed within the heel adapted to receive a shoe horn therein, wherein the compartment is accessible via an opening on the heel; the compartment having a crescent shaped cross sectional area so as to be shaped similarly to a shoehorn; the compartment being disposed in a substantially horizontal orientation within the heel; a flap pivotally positioned on the heel that removably covers the opening on the heel. 